Review: Asterios Polyp

Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is amazing. Asterios isn't a particularly likeable character, yet the story is told in a way that can get the reader to empathize with him. He's always been a bit of a loner, partially by choice. He can come off as boorish and snobby. The relationships he builds with the other characters goes beyond that façade. The story follows two timelines. The one in the present shows where he is now and serves to soften some of the events in the past.

I enjoyed the use of abstract art. It plays with the format of the graphic novel while reinforcing some of the snobbery that Asterios embodies. The story is wholly about the title character and is a wonderful portrait. The book goes beyond what the general public would think of as a comic book in both the content of the story and the art, and it does it well.

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